CHARLES

Lettsom's entry in the Oxford DNB erroneously states that his son John Miers Lettsom, M.D., 'a physician of promise', died in 1799. For the true details, see Gentleman's Magazine, January 1800. 1p, 8vo. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and worn, with thin strip of paper adhering to the blank reverse of the second leaf, which is addressed, with fragment of seal in black wax, to 'Mr Charles Taylor | 134 | Cheapside'. The recipient may well be Charles Taylor (d.1816), physician, originally a Manchester calico printer and dyer, who later became Secretary of the Society of Arts, London.

The recipient is Charles Taylor (d.1816), physician, originally a Manchester calico printer and dyer, who later became Secretary of the Society of Arts, London. 1p, 8vo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to reverse of second leaf, which is addressed, with postmarks to 'Dr. Taylor | Principal Secretary | to the Society of Arts &c | Adelphi'. Folded four times. Reads: 'Dear Doctor | I have this day proposed your name to the Medical Society of London.

Both letters are signed 'Chas. Mercier'. ONE 23 July 1906. 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper adhering to the blank second leaf. The letter, which is written in a playful tone, begins: 'My dear Bedford Pearce [sic] | Blamed if I do? I am not so ignorant of the Canonical Books as to confuse Prov: 26. 4 with 26. 5. Your offence, which cries aloud to heaven, is the omission of a comma! A quotation should follow the original verbatim et literatim [sic] et punctuatim, and a stop is an integral part of the text.

Proctor was a much loved individual in literary circles, from the days of the London Magazine to the mid-Victorian period, in which he was the dedicatee of both Thackeray's 'Vanity Fair' and Wilkie Collins's 'Woman in White'. His reputation as a poet was international: he was thought highly of by Pushkin. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse. The letter reads: 'Dear [Harris?] | Pray tell me where [?] I can have some conversation with you about some patients of the name of [Lealer? Lester?], whom you know.

The recipient of this letter is the surgeon Henry William Robert Davey (1798-1870) of Yarmouth, son of surgeon Henry Sallows Davey (1781-1855) of Beccles; and the 'Mr. Bell' mentioned in it is Sir Charles Bell, who had taught Davey ten years before at Theatre of Anatomy, Great Windmill Street. 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged, with a strip cut away from the outside edge of the second leaf, which carries two postmarks and Watson's address to 'Henry Davey Esqre | Tavistock Hotel | Covent Garden'. Twenty-one lines of neatly-written text.

Marion Shaw, daughter of Charles Shaw of Ayr, married Charles Bell in 1811. Following the death of her husband in 1842, she lived with her brother the surgeon Alexander Shaw (1804-1890), and their house became a centre of artistic and literary society. The recipient is a former pupil of Bell's at the Hunterian School of Medicine in Great Windmill Street, London, the surgeon Henry William Robert Davey (1798-1870), son of surgeon Henry Sallows Davey (1781-1855) of Beccles. The letter is written on the publication of 'The Letters of Sir Charles Bell, K.H., F.R.S.L.

1p, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip from mount adhering to reverse of second leaf, which is addressed, with broken seal in red wax, to 'Dr. Blagden | Secry. to the | Royal Society | London'. After thanking Blagden for the trouble he has taken 'in transmitting the thanks of the R: Socy. To me for the trifling performance I sent to the Library', Hamilton continues: 'I consider myself as honoured by its reception.

3pp, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to the reverse of second leaf, which is addressed 'À Monsieur | Monsieur L. Odier | Docteur et Professeur en Médecine | à Genève.' He begins by expressing the 'great pleasure' he has felt in again seeing Odier's handwriting, and learning that he and his family are in good health.

For information about George Rose (1744-1818) and Lord Charles Somerset (1767-1831) see their entries in the Oxford DNB. The two men served as Joint Paymasters General of the Forces, 1804-1806. Rose, who was a close friend of Lord Nelson, was mocked by Cobbett for enriching his family at the public expense. The present document, witnessed by one of his second sons the poet William Stewart Rose (1775-1843), appoints his eldest son, the future Sir George Henry Rose, (1771-1855), as one of the two attorneys of his office.

1p, foolscap 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to edge on reverse. Folded once. Signed 'C Townshend' with good impression of seal in red wax at bottom right. Nineteen-line document in a secretarial hand, with tax stamp at head. At foot, by two members of the Army Pay Office, Horse Guards: 'Sign'd, Sealed and delivered, (being first duly stamp'd) in the presence of | John Powell | Chas: Bembridge'.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, aged and worn, with creasing and heavy wear at head. Folded three times. Addressed to 'The Rev. C. R. Sumner'. Reads: 'Rev. Sir | As Librarian of the British & Foreign Bible Society, I have the honor to state to you that a Resolution has been passed by the Committee of that Society, requesting permission to offer to His Majesty as a mark of their dutiful homage a set of Copies of the Versions of Holy Scripture executed or reprinted at their expence.

2pp, 4to. On first leaf of bifolium, the second leaf carrying the address to 'Lady Palgrave | Hampstead Green', with four postmarks, one dated 29 July 1837. In fair condition, on aged, worn and creased paper. Lady Elizabeth Palgrave was the wife of the archivist and historian Sir Francis Palgrave (1788-1861, né Cohen), and daughter of the banker, naturalist and bibliophile Dawson Turner (1775-1858) of Yarmouth.

The letters are in fair condition, lightly aged; the card is discoloured and stained. Loosely inserted in a copy of Williams's 'Thomas Cranmer of Canterbury', 75 + [1]pp, 8vo, with the ownership signature 'Christopher Fry' on the front free endpaper, in worn binding with fraying at head of spine. Delightful and revealing letters, mixing personal and business (Williams worked for the Oxford University Press and Fry was published by them). ONE: ALS from Southfield House, 17 December 1941. 2pp, 12mo. Thirty lines of closely-written text, on a leaf of ruled paper torn from a notebook.

115pp, 12mo. In good condition: sound and tight, on browning War Economy paper, in green cloth with slight bloom, and in slightly worn and chipped browning dustwrapper. (The subtitle 'A Play in Three Acts' features on the dustwrapper, but not on the title-page.) Fry's ownership inscription 'Christopher Fry' is in blue ink at the top right-hand corner of the recto of the front free endpaper. A verse drama from the library of the leading twentieth-century English exponent of the genre, after T. S. Eliot.

55pp, 8vo. In fair condition, internally tight and sound, on browning paper, in lightly-worn blue cloth binding. No dustwrapper. Slight dink at head of spine. Ownership inscription 'Christopher Fry' in blue ink at top right-hand corner of recto of front free endpaper. Fry and Williams were on cordial terms, the latter working for Oxford University Press and the former being published by them.

On 2 x 8 cm slip of paper, cut from document. In good condition, lightly aged, laid down on larger piece of white paper cut from leaf of an album. A distinctive, strong signature, reading 'Geo Cruikshank'. No other text. From the distinguished autograph collection of Richard Hunter, son of Ida Macalpine, whose collection of 7000 books relating to psychiatry is in Cambridge University Library.

3pp, 16mo. On bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged. Phillipps's letter (or draft letter) is a reply to a dinner invitation from the wife of the eminent Worcester physician Sir Charles Hastings. It occupies the reverse of the first leaf, and both sides of the second leaf of the bifolium. The recto of the first leaf carries the invitation, in manuscript, with the text in square brackets printed in copperplate: 'Sir Charles & Lady Hastings [Request the pleasure of] Sir Thos & Lady Phillipps' [Company at Dinner] on Thursday the 28th. Inst.

Both letters in good condition, lightly aged. Both bifoliums, and both signed 'Charles Hastings'. ONE: 25 January 1846. 4pp, 12mo. He is 'glad to hear' that Phillipps is thinking of 'coming down to one of our evening meetings at the Natural History Society' (Hastings being the chairman). The date for the next meeting will be fixed on the following day, and Hastings' son, who is a member of the committee, will communicate with Phillipps. 'Our last meeting went off very well.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter is addressed to 'My dear Mrs. Wigan' and begins: 'I am sorry to find that the friends I mentioned to you, have decided on another house already – but if I hear of any one else who would be glad of your very charming house, I will not fail to mention it.' She thanks her for offering to 'help Charlie some day with a word or two of advice – in case he should eventually decide on choosing the Stage as his career'. She would be 'very grateful for your valuable opinion on many points connected with it'.

Title continued: [...] Prefaced by the Announcement of the award of the Wollaston Medal [...] The Murchison Medal [...] and the Lyell Medal and Fund [...]. [76]pp., 8vo, lacking blue front wrap, remnants of binding in miscellaneous volume of pamphlets at spine, title sl. sunned, otherwise good condition. It includes a lengthy obituary of Charles Lyell who had died the previous year. Scarce: copies held by copywright libraries and Columbia.

2pp, 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with dogeared corners. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'The Rev. C. Sumner'. Begins: 'Rev. Sir | I have been encouraged by the advice of friends to propose to you confidentially a question, to which you would much oblige me by returning a reply. The Committee of the British & Foreign Bible Society have occasionally transmitted to different quarters, as presents, a set of Copies of the version of the Holy Scripture executed by their aid, and the new edition, which they have published.

The son of Sir John Kennaway of the East India Company, Kennaway was well-connected. In 1819 Poet Laureate Robert Southey provided him with a letter of introduction to Walter Scott. ONE: 'Poems of Rev. C. E. Kennaway, M.A.' (1846). xv + 216pp, 12mo. Black leather binding, with stamp of Nisbet & Co, 21 Berners Street, London, on front free endpaper.in gilt, stamped with the words 'Bagster's Binding'; all edges gilt. Internally a good tight copy on lightly-aged paper; in worn binding, especially at the spine and hinges. Bookplate of Sarah Godley.

2pp, 4to. On leaf tipped-in onto a piece of light-green card from an album, at head of which is attached a printed slip: 'BARENTIN C. L. F. de P. | Born 1738. Died 1819. | KEEPER OF THE SEALS TO LOUIS XVI.' The letter is undated, but the year '1789' has been added in pencil in a nineteenth-century hand. (That same year, following the Storming of the Bastille, Barentin was dismissed by the king.) Nineteen lines of closely-written text. Addressed at bottom left of first leaf to 'M le P Gl' (Monsieur le Procureur général?).

2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with fold lines. Annotated up one margin: 'Writer of Travels &c'. Andersson writes: 'Dear Mr. Blackett, - | I enclose a literal translation of a paragraph extracted from one of the best Swedish newspapers, by which you will see that the King has honoured me with a medal. If you think that this paragraph may be of any use to you when advertising the 2d. Edition of “Lake Ngami”, it is quite at your service. Of course you may put it any [sic] language you may think proper. | Yours faithfully | Chs. J.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. She asks Adams to inform her 'what day has been fixed for the Committee in the Vane Estate Bill' (in which she clearly has a family interest), continuing: 'When the Duke of Marlborough saw Mr Adam with Lord Redesdale last night he understood that Tuesday next was the day on which he was to be present in order to give his consent to the Bill; he has since heard from Mr. Wagstaff to say that Friday or the following Monday will be the earliest day on which the Bill can be committed.

2pp, 16mo. Bifolium, with the letter on the recto of the first leaf, and a long postscript on the recto of the second. In good condition, lightly aged, folded twice. A friend of Charles Dickens and his circle, and physician to Queen Victoria's uncle Prince Leopold, Quin founded the London Homeopathic Hospital in 1849. The letter invites Quin to 'dine with us on Tuesday the 23rd. Inst at a quarter before seven o' clock'. The pith is in the two postscripts: 'P.S.

1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount adhering to one edge, folded several times. 'Mrs. Macready' in a contemporary hand at the head of the page. Written in a neat hand the letter reads: 'Mrs. Macready presents her compliments to Mr. Kenneth, - any Letters directed to Mr. Macready Theatre Royal Birmingham will find Mr. Macready until Saturday Morng. 24th Inst.'

A highly interesting letter from a leading Victorian dramatic critic (Thomas describes himself in the letter as 'For five & twenty years [...] theatrical critic of the Daily news & the Graphic', who has 'served under at least thirteen editors') to a leading actor-manager (Hare was knighted in 1907), on the subject of alleged editorial pressure on Fleet Street's theatre critics. 4pp, 8vo. On four leaves. Aged and worn, but with text complete and clear.

Two Air Mail letters, both in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Both letters are addressed to Beloe (author of the 1960 Beloe Report - education at The Hill House, Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. The subject of the two letters is a letter from George Washington to Lieutenant Governor Dinwiddie, Belvoir, 7 March 1754, beginning ''Honble. Sir | If the Vessel you Honour hir'd of Colo. Eyre has not left York'. The letter is now at Mount Vernon. ONE: Hotson's letter, signed 'Leslie Hotson'. 29 January 1955. 1p., 12mo.

3pp., foolscap 8vo. On a bifolium of laid paper. In fair condition, aged and worn. The first poem, 'Balooning [sic]', covers both sides of the first leaf. No evidence has been discovered that this poem was ever published, but it is inspired by the exploits of 'Mr. Green' in a humorous essay titled 'Ballooning', which appeared in Charles Dickens's 'Household Words' on 25 October 1851. The choice of two phrases ('pipes & backy' and 'Mounted Meershaums') is given in the present manuscript, these variants perhaps suggesting that this item is authorial rather than a transcription.